Water softeners are used to soften hard water prior to the water being utilized by an individual. The water softener includes a salt tank through which water and salt form a brine solution which is used to flush the resin bed of the water softener, removing contaminants from the bed.
During operation of the water softener, the salt contained in the water softener salt tank is used up over time, such that the salt needs to be replenished in order to maintain the effectiveness of the water softener. However, due to the normal placement of water softeners within a home, i.e., often in a basement in the well pump room, and the opaque materials utilized to form the tanks in which the salt is contained, many times the salt in the water softener salt tank is unknowingly completely exhausted, such that it can no longer form a brine solution and that water used thereafter by an individual is “hard”.
Running out a brine tank of salt causes hard water to pass through the hot water heater causing buildup of sediment in the tank, along with causing unwanted characteristics in the water such as hardness on the skin and poor lathering and cleaning of soaps and detergents. Most users of water softeners have let their brine tanks run out of salt due to the poor visual signs of low salt in the tank and due to the fact that the tanks are usually placed in a location that is infrequently seen or visited such as the basement or closet. There are also instances where the ability to communicate the status of the salt in the tank and or other conditions in the tank to someone at a remote location is impaired, particularly due to the nature of the infrequently seen or visited locations that may be selected.
To remedy this problem, a number of different monitoring devices for water softener salt tanks have been developed. The majority of these mechanisms involve a number of interacting parts which, when the salt reaches a predetermined lower limit in the tank, operate to provide some type of indication to a user that the salt in the water softener tank needs to be replenished.
While the majority of these devices are generally effective in providing an indication to an individual when salt in a water softener tank needs to be replenished, the costs for assembly and/or maintenance of these prior art monitoring devices are often high due to the large number of interacting or interconnected components of the devices which do not hold up well under the harsh conditions formed by the salt water present in the water softener tank. The devices are also cumbersome to install for the average user. These devices also are not capable of communicating remotely at longer distances to individuals who may be responsible for maintaining the equipment for filling the tanks with salt.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop a monitoring system for a water softener salt tank that is not constructed from a large number of parts, is capable of accurately determining the amount of salt remaining in the water softener salt tank, and is more easily installed outside the harsh environment of the tank. It is also desirable to develop a monitoring system which can be adapted for use with a variety of water softener tanks without requiring significant modifications. It is also desirable to develop a system that can communicate with individuals outside the normal ranges of most transmitters.